Milestones
by Maijajo
Summary: Reflective DL oneshot.


_**Disclaimer:** I don't own these people._

_**Author's Note:** Just a plot bunny that needed to be dispatched. Hope it pleases you!_

**MILESTONES**

Before she moved to New York, Lindsay Monroe was known as a woman who didn't sweat the small stuff. She didn't allow petty work disputes disrupt her life. If she gained a few pounds, she wore elastic waists until they fell off. The milestones in her life were scattered few and far between, represented by the people who precipitated them.

When she was 4, she took an ill-advised attempt on her brother's skateboard, raking her back to shreds on the concrete driveway. _Dr. Roger Carmondy_ doused it with antiseptic, which killed any bacteria and etched true physical pain in the story of Lindsay's psyche. She never rode a skateboard again.

_Officer Andrew McReynolds_ earned his spot when he appeared at the Monroes' door when she was 12. He carried her 17-year-old brother Patrick's wallet and the news that a drunk driver killed him two miles from home. Her mother's primal scream still echoes in her brain.

When she was 18 Lindsay learned about pride when her science teacher, _Greg Abernathy_, nominated her for a national science award, which she won, along with a full-ride scholarship to Montana State University.

As a 21-year-old biology major, her best friend, Laura Smithwyck, was stabbed to death in her off-campus apartment. Lindsay told police it had to be Laura's abusive boyfriend, Allan Garfield. Bozeman CSI _Melanie Dupree_ earned a place in her heart and mind when she used a combination of fibers and partial fingerprints on a boning knife to put him in jail.

When she was 27, _Capt. Roger Gilheart_ left his mark when he took a stand and hired Lindsay as the first female CSI ever in Great Falls. Three years later, he recommended her to his old Marine buddy, Mac Taylor.

After that, Lindsay's perspective changed. The cause? A Statten Island boy named Danny Messer.

Danny made every touch, every look, a memory to be treasured. Standing thoughtfully, this fall afternoon, Lindsay gazes out her apartment window, pondering the moments contained in the small apartment they've shared for the past year.

So many images. Every object tells a story.

_The crocheted throw._ After her botched foray into undercover work, he had draped it around her shoulders when she couldn't stop shaking. It slowed the tremors - his arms did the rest.

_The framed Rangers tickets on the wall._ Lindsay smiled fondly, recalling Danny's delighted grin when he realized she was the "admirer" that left one in his desk drawer. It was their first official date after the escaped Allan Garfield was back in jail, laying Lindsay final demon to rest.

_The scarred oak_. Lindsay's eyes glow with remembered candlelight from the first dinner Danny cooked for her. Gazing at him over savory marinara and clams, she surrendered herself and her heart.

_The heavy wooden door_. She can still feel the rough wood against her bare back, the sound of his voice when he screamed her name in joyful release.

_The overstuffed green chair_. Mac had sat there is silence as Lindsay and Danny revealed their love, warned them sternly, then hugged them, wishing them well.

_The woven rug on the floor._ Lindsay had collapsed there in grief when the call came – Danny had been shot. It served as her altar when she prayed for the survival of the man who made her live again.

_The lumpy plaid couch._ It was there she nursed him back to health – serving him meals, stroking his hair, and evading his seeking hands. Even sore from a near-fatal shooting, he still wanted her.

_Her wrought-iron balcony._ There, by the light of the moon, he pledged his love and asked for her hand. It was then, for the first time, Lindsay knew true happiness.

Leaning against the glass, Lindsay smiles. So many memories to remember, so many more to create.

"Hey sweetie. You ready?" Stella Bonasera emerges from the bedroom, curly hair brushing her shoulders, a simple navy sheathe hugging her curves.

"Are you kidding? I've been waiting for this moment since I first saw him," Lindsay says, eyes filling with tears.

"Hey, no tears! I spent serious time and effort with that makeup." Stella fusses over Lindsay's lace veil and straightens the skirt of her simple ivory gown. Finally pausing, she smiles at her friend. "You look beautiful. What are you thinking about?"

"Just memories, milestones. The things that brought me here."

"God bless the broken road?" Stella asks, eyebrow arched.

"Something like that."

Her friend puts a gentle arm around her shoulders. "Let's go. Something tells me a certain handsome detective is getting impatient."

"By all means," Lindsay laughs.

They leave turn to leave, collecting a few necessities. Lindsay smiles as she closes the door on her past and sets off to secure her future with the man she loves.

**The End**


End file.
